I lost my 14 year old son, Stephen Michael White of Boone NC, at a jimjilbong (sauna) in Gyeongsan South Korea May 10, 2008. At 11:02 my son was discovered floating face down in a 40cm pool of water. EMS was not called until 11:28, by cleaning crew who had come to drain and scrub the pools. The employee who "first" discovered Mike claimed he thought my son was "joking around" or "bathing".

The EMT's sent to the location were not certified lifesavers. There is currently a debate in the courts where Mike died, the sauna or ER. The mother and a family friend, took over CP while a ER tech monitored a slow suction of Mike's lungs. His airways were filled with a frothy mass; typical results from the convulsions, coughing and retching which are the physciological reactions to drowning.

Police in the weeks following the autposy claimed that Michael suffered from a weak heart and that fatal arrhythmia was the cause of death.

I, Mike's mother arranged for Mike's remains to be transported to Seoul on July 15th for a second autopsy review. As the only family member in South Korea, I rode in the specially equiped van with my son on the five hour trip from Gyeongsan which is southeast of Daegu.

August 19, a forensic expert from Seoul National University issued a second opinion to me stating no medical cause for death could be found, nor proof available for a theory. Since this scientist was conducting a second review against the wishes of the Gyeongsan Police, he refused to discuss any crimminal forensics.

On August 28, 2008 Mike's remains were cremated, no longer being able to pay the morgue fees to keep my son in a "suitable state for investigative work". With interest in the case waining, it came as quite a shock to the expatriot community in South Korea as well as myself, to discover on the New Year after months of silence, that I'm sueing the South Korean government over issues with the sauna, local health agencies (similar to the US OSHA), and EMS and hospital. The case has been in the courts since June 11, 2008. The police now have the case listed as drowning under suspicious circumstances, a change from their earlier ruling.

I am sueing for 450 million won. The really sad part of all this is that had the police done their jobs in the first place and had investigated this properly, I never would have sued, having already recieved justice in the courts.

My first court date is Feb, 12 2009. Just two days before Valentines day. I had been a single mother for 15 years. I didn't date often. This was a holiday he & I shared as a tradition of pizza, ice cream (chocomint from baskin robbins) and a movie. This year, I'll be in court with my son's ashes in a urn.

Thanks for letting me share my story. Mike's story is available at his website MighieMike dot com.